How travel can slow process of ageing, according to a new study

The study is the first to look at the principle of “entropy increase” as a theoretical basis for assessing the link between travel and ageing.

Entropy is a concept in thermodynamics that measures the degree of disorder or chaos within a system. Simply put, the higher the entropy, the more the disorder and vice versa. First proposed by German physicist Rudolf Clausius in 1865, the concept today sees use in a wide range of fields including economics, biology, sociology, and information theory.

According to the second law of thermodynamics, as time passes, the entropy of an isolated system can increase, but not decrease. This is the idea of “entropy increase”. This is what the study’s authors use to describe the decline in human health, specifically the process of ageing. A healthy and functioning human body can be said to have low entropy. As one ages, one’s body witness an entropy increase. Humans, however, combat this with a combination of medicine and healthy lifestyle choices.

The link between travel and ageing

Researchers found that the link between tourism and human health is multifaceted. Positive travel experiences can lead to improved physical and mental health “through exposure to novel environments, physical activities, and social interactions.” This can slow down ageing.

“Ageing, as a process, is irreversible. While it can’t be stopped, it can be slowed down,” Fangli Hu, the lead author of the study, told Science Daily. “Put simply, the [human body’s] self-defence system becomes more resilient. Hormones conducive to tissue repair and regeneration may be released and promote the self-healing system’s functioning,” she said.

Additionally, physical activities like hiking, climbing and cycling can boost metabolism and energy spent, aiding the body to maintain its self-healing system. Further research could explore how travel therapy could benefit different groups of people.

However, negative travel experiences may increase ageing and lead to further entropy increase. “Conversely, tourism can involve negative experiences that potentially lead to health problems, paralleling the process of promoting entropy increase,” Hu said. Contracting infectious diseases, accidents, injuries, violence, water and food safety issues, and concerns related to inappropriate tourism engagement, can all contribute to faster ageing.